Source: Airports Council International.
(Detailed PDF Map)Passenger and Freight Traffic at European
Airports, 2010Like its
North American counterpart the European air transport system
shows a level of divergence between passenger and freight
services. The level of airport activity is a function of
population distribution, with lower incomes related to lower
activity levels in Eastern Europe. The main airports are usually
the hubs of national carriers such as British Airways (LHR), Air
France (CDG), Lufthansa (FRA), KLM (AMS) or Iberia (MAD). Parts
of the Mediterranean are overrepresented as the traffic
intensity is mainly related to resort areas such as the Canary
Islands and Balearic Islands.The major freight airports are usually similar to the
main passenger airports, but like the United States,
specialized freight airports such as Liege and Leipzig have
emerged. The majority of the freight activity takes place
within a rectangle defined by London (LHR), Amsterdam (AMS),
Frankfurt (FRA) and Paris (CDG). Little freight activity
takes place around the Mediterranean.